The Caroliniad
by MorganLeFay33
Summary: Greek Mythology AU for all of my favorite multifandom ladies and their patron goddesses - Korinna (Cora), Sara (Sarah), Elisavet (Elsie), Rhoda (Rosamund), Vera, Carolina (Caroline), and Aikaterine (Kate).
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, folks. Here's the first chapter of my Last Tango in Halifax and Downton Abbey Greek Mythology AU. Hope you like it!_

_xoxo,_

_Morgana_

* * *

**The Caroliniad **

**Book I**

* * *

Elisavet quietly scattered the sage and grain into the flames, closing her eyes and muttering, "We honor you, Demeter. We thank you for your bountiful fruits in the past months, and we pray…"

Rhoda knelt by the fire and tried to drown out the sound, secretly praying to Hera. Her moving lips were concealed by her dark veil. She could always feel the great goddess's wrath whenever she was forgotten.

After many moments passed in silence, the oracle turned from the fire and threw back her hood, pulling Rhoda up into a standing position. She embraced her and held her hands, emanating a motherly benevolence that warmed even the cynical priestess.

"My dearest Rhoda, things will change greatly as this year passes, for your loved ones and for you. The goddess of the harvest has shown me that you must not fear this change. You must remain strong and open your heart to it."

* * *

Hera stormed into the chamber in a wild rage, causing the group of chattering dryads to suddenly stop combing Aphrodite's hair. They scattered quickly, leaving the two alone.

"This is _your _doing!" she cried angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "I will not allow it! I will not allow you to bring ruin upon their noble name. A husband must remain faithful to his wife and she to him."

"It wasn't my doing at all!" she protested with a kittenish pout. "It is a deep love, deeper than any kind I know. Its roots crawl down into Gaia's depths. There will be no shaking it."

"But surely the lord's tryst with the housegirl Ioanna is not the same? Admit it!"

"Oh yes," Aphrodite nodded in agreement. She giggled and twirled one of her curls around her finger. "That was all me. Well, and Eros." She rose from her chair and sleepily stretched her arms, swinging her hips as she walked to open the silken curtains. "Hera, darling, you must let it be. I was only making room for the Fates."

The taller goddess marched across the room and grabbed Aphrodite by the front of her foamy tunic.

"Ow!" she cried, her voice still remaining melodious despite her discomfort. "Put me down!"

"If you meddle in any of it again, I'll see to it that you're hung from the sky with anvils breaking those pretty feet of yours! Leave this family be. They have reached peace at last, and I will not have a sorceress tearing them apart."

Hera threw the smaller goddess down and stomped out of the chamber.

For a moment, Aphrodite sat there in shock. She did not like it when the older goddess laid hands on her. She was more beautiful, and she knew it was only jealousy. But alas, she also knew she could not stop the changes that were to befall the house of Downton. She would need to distract Hera for the time being. She would need something that would leave her to her work with no more stormy interruptions from the queen of the heavens.

"Eros?" she sang out.

She grinned happily as her toddler waddled in, clutching his bow and arrow.

"I have a task for you."

"Yes, mama?" he replied with an innocent smile.

"You must go to the temple of Hera whereupon sits a high priestess by the name of Rhoda. She is fair, with a sharp tongue and fiery hair. Bring to her a…woman." Aphrodite stopped to smirk at her own brilliant idea. Hera surely would not like this. "Bring to her a woman who is dark and difficult and flighty. Afflict the priestess with the elixir of your arrow, and leave the other free."

The child nodded and jumped into the air, wings stopping him from falling. He fluttered away, leaving behind a plume of white feathers and high-pitched giggles.

* * *

"Will that be all, my lady?" Sara laid the golden comb beside her mistress's bed stepping back in question.

"Yes, Sara. Thank you." Korinna smiled at her kindly, her large blue eyes glowing like sapphires in the firelight. Suddenly, she reached down to her stomach and held her hand there patiently. "It's kicking!" she cried gently. "Oh, Sara, you must come feel!" Korinna grabbed her attendant's hand and placed it there as well.

Sara's heart jumped at the sudden contact, and she felt both sick and delighted at the sensation of the movement beneath her palm. After a moment, she realized that it had stopped and she'd left her hand on her lady for a moment too long. She pulled it away quickly, trying not to let her see the blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Yes, it's very nice," she nodded curtly as she drew down the blankets for Korinna.

When Sara finally left the house in the darkness of night, she looked over her shoulder before pulling on her black cloak and climbing into the little boat along the river. She paddled herself to her grotto, where the centaur Thomas waited impatiently, grinding his hooves into the ground.

"You're late and she's struggling."

"I don't care," Sara responded. She lifted her flattened hands into the air toward the giant boulder before her, concentrating carefully until it moved to the side with a loud rumbling noise.

As they stood around the swirling and sparkling mixture, Thomas gulped in awe. "You're nearly there. Just a few more additions until it's time."

"Be quiet," Sara said softly. "Bring her to me."

Thomas disappeared for a moment, returning with the gagged siren, who twisted around in a panic. He plopped her onto the ground and held her down as Sara approached her with her knife and bottle. She carefully placed the open bottle by the creature's head and held the glistening weapon over her. The siren began to tremble violently and scream through her gag. For a moment, Thomas untied the fabric and her shrill voice filled the murky chamber with a terrifying cacophony. Sara quickly closed the bottle and re-gagged her, laughing lowly. She hadn't even needed to hurt her. The sorceress waved her hand indifferently.

"You can throw her back in."

The centaur nodded, picked her up, and trotted away back toward the open sea cliffs.

In the now-eerie silence of her shadowy grotto, Sara watched in satisfaction as the wispy vapors of the siren's scream emptied into the potion, joining into the ever-spinning concoction and causing it to glow bright green.

"Hear me, o great ruler of the seas. Hear me, great god of war. Hear me, great goddess of wisdom. Hear me, o great god of the underworld, for I will soon send to you an innocent."

She was nearly there. Within very few moons, she would soon become the head of the house of Downton.

She tried to ignore the horrifying thought of her final task.

* * *

Apollo tuned his lyre as Artemis reclined into the plush patch of violets. She put her hands behind her head and chuckled.

"Are you going to compose a song for him too?"

"If it will lead him to my bed, then I will compose ten thousand songs for him."

She threw her head back in laughter. "I've never seen you so taken with a centaur, brother."

"Well, it would do you good to pay more attention to your own charges, sister. Perhaps you should give up the hunt for an evening to help them. I've seen his companion, the sorceress. She does not follow you. She follows others who do not hear her. She needs you."

"You're overreacting," Artemis replied with a roll of her eyes. She reached out to ruffle her strong hands in brother's golden hair, muttering, "I'll fix it. I believe one of my nymphs, Vera, knows her well."

Apollo nodded in approval and began to sing so sweetly that the forest animals around them started to join him in harmonious warbling as they crawled into Artemis's arms.

* * *

Carolina had not planned on such an outing today. She had finished tutoring Korinna and had hoped to spend the remainder of her time working alone in her study. She had much writing to do. Unfortunately, when Aikaterine popped her head in to announce that she had fulfilled her scribal duties for the day, Carolina had given up any hope of resisting her offer to join her for a languid afternoon by the river.

"What a beautiful place."

Aikaterine traced her lover's chin and leaned down to kiss her, whispering, "I'm glad you like it. I had hoped to find a secluded place for us."

Carolina kissed her back passionately, pulling them both down to lie in the soft grasses beside the bubbling water.

"I have good news," she said softly, slowly inhaling the flowery scent of the other woman's dark hair.

The scribe drew back for a moment. "Oh?"

Carolina replied in excitement, "There has been talk of a library…of the building of a great library in Alexandria. I have been promised by their scholars that my work will be held there for all eternity."

"That is wonderful news," Aikaterine whispered in wonder. She leaned down to place a light kiss on her pink lips and sighed in contentment. She had never known a woman so talented and intelligent as her Carolina.

"Of course, I'll have to finish it first!" Carolina laughed lightly, wrapping her arms around the other woman.

Aikaterine dropped kisses down her lover's freckled neck, murmuring into her golden hair, "There will be time for that later."

Suddenly, Carolina sat up nervously. "Is that…? My love, you have led us beside a laurel tree. Perhaps it is improper of us to do this in her sight. She is chaste and we are not."

The scribe laughed and climbed over Carolina again, kissing her even more fiercely. She replied gently, "My beautiful scholar, Daphne does not object to women. There is not a man in sight, and we must celebrate your imminent success." Aikaterine leisurely drew her tunic down over her chest, and Carolina immediately reached out, eager to touch her.

* * *

Athena laid her helmet on the ground, asking politely, "Aunt Hestia, may I join you by the hearth?"

"Certainly, my child."

They sat together, Athena's head resting on the other goddess's shoulder. They watched their charges in contentment as they began to make love. Finally, Hestia waved her hand over the coals until the embers ceased to show them the scene. Only the goddess Hestia would be thoughtful enough to grant such privacy to mortals.

"Thank you for bestowing such impressive intellectual gifts upon my beloved Aikaterine," Hestia said gently.

Athena grinned. "You mustn't thank _me_, my dear aunt. You have sacrificed her happiness greatly. Without her, Carolina would find no inspiration, and the world would lose a valuable piece of scholarly work. I know it hasn't been easy for you. She has so wanted a child, and the pain of losing her husband must have been unbearable. I am content to see her happy again."

Hestia nodded in concession. "Yes, I have struggled to deny her wishes. Her daily prayers have saddened me so."

Athena's face suddenly brightened with a magnificent idea. "There is no reason why she should still remain barren, Aunt Hestia. Please. Call for Demeter. We can now fulfill her desire."

Hestia's pale, gentle eyes grew worried. "But surely it would be an immaculate birth."

Athena warmed her hands by the hearth and chortled. "We'll work out the technicalities somehow."


	2. Chapter 2

**Book II**

* * *

"No! Stay! You _must_ stay!"

Persephone banged her fists down on either side of the stone table, causing the game pieces to bounce up into the chilling air for a moment.

"I must meet Artemis. I've told you," Vera replied sternly, her arms crossed in defiance. It's nearly evening already. The moon's probably risen by now."

"You like her more than me, don't you!" the young goddess cried hysterically.

Vera leaned back and watched a spider crawl out of the cobwebs that had woven their way into Persephone's hair, feeling not even the slightest urge to shudder. She was used to it by now – the deterioration and decay surrounding such a youthful and fiery soul. Her beautiful green eyes were frosted over as if covered in cataracts. The queen of the dead would be released from the underworld soon enough, for spring was due any day now, but Vera always found this version of the goddess particularly annoying – this crusty, frustrated, and nearly crazy girl who desperately needed the sun.

"If you must know, I do prefer her company at the present, but only because you're getting anxious and restless and tormented. I hate when you're like this. It's irritating as hell."

"Careful!" Persephone hissed threateningly. "You and I had an arrangement. You don't want to go breaking it, do you?"

Vera cackled disinterestedly. "Sure. You're welcome to break it. I can find a way to deal with my husband without your help. But who's going to keep running back and forth between you and your _precious mum_?" she sneered, refusing to break eye contact.

The younger goddess screeched so loudly at the nymph across from her that the endless caverns surrounding them echoed for many minutes afterward.

Vera took that as her cue to leave.

"You're looking dead serious today, old man," the nymph snickered as she climbed into Charon's boat. She no longer needed permission. He groaned and began to ferry her across the Styx.

Vera looked down into the dark waters below her and laughed at the wailing souls of the dead. She would join them one day, but nothing made her feel quite so smug as the thought of peeling off their shadowy, groping hands and re-entering the realm of the living.

* * *

Rhoda shifted her veil to the side as she strolled through the fragrant gardens, trying her hardest to spy on her fellow passers-by. Her intuition had told her long ago what the oracle had confirmed. Something was brewing here in the house of Crawley, and she would find out just what it was.

She eyed her niece, Sybil, walking with the stable boy. Their long afternoon talks were certainly not acceptable, but Rhoda was not the sort to interfere in the moment. She would wait to pester the young girl until after her male companion had left.

"Rhoda! What a nice surprise!"

The redhead turned to her right to see her sister-in-law walking down the cobblestone path, arm-in-arm with her scribe.

"We were just taking a stroll to clear our minds before returning to the day's tasks. The sun was shining too beautifully for us to resist," Korinna said with a sweet smile.

Rhoda's gaze flickered away for a moment toward the scribe. She suddenly felt like someone had pinched her upper back, and she flinched, scrunching her nose slightly.

"Rhoda?"

She could hear Korinna's concerned voice, but it was drowned out by the strangest sound. She could have sworn that she'd heard a child giggling. The priestess stood dumbfounded for several seconds, finally noticing the woman standing beside her sister-in-law. She was absolutely breathtaking, with her dark hair woven into intricate braids and twisted together at the nape of her long, slender neck. Her jet-black eyes glowed brightly, boring into Rhoda's soul with an overwhelming ferocity. The priestess tried to steady herself, realizing that she was beginning to lean over towards the scribe. Her eyes traveled farther downward, and she nearly fainted at the sight of the enticing form beneath that elegant, sky-blue tunic.

Rhoda shook her head quickly and took a deep breath, reaching out to grasp the woman's hand. It was soft to the touch, and she worried that she might grow even more dizzy from her intoxicating scent. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Rhoda. And you are…?"

"Aikaterine," the scribe answered in a kind and mellow tone. Something akin to an electric shock pulsed between them, and she quickly drew her hand out of Rhoda's.

"Wonderful to make your acquaintance," the priestess responded, batting her eyelashes beneath her veil.

* * *

"Immature. All of them." Demeter sighed and held her head in her hands, nervously picking apart bits of grain that had fallen from her hair.

Hestia grinned at her sister with gentle deference and moved her hand across the hearth to change the image displayed across the warm coals.

"Dear sister," Hestia asked, "Do you remember how you cried when the people of Athens lost their apple trees at the hand of our brother's wrath? How the sea swallowed them up during the storm?"

"How could I forget?" she replied with an even bigger sigh.

"I only ask because your tears dropped from Olympus to the ground, and oh! Do you remember? It was so lovely. The trees grew from those very places where your tears met the earth."

"Yes," Demeter mumbled with a wistful smile.

"Our sister may be in disagreement with Aphrodite, but something good may come of their entanglements."

"How?" Demeter laughed incredulously.

"I have never asked anything of you, and I wouldn't dream of it unless I felt with all my heart that this was right."

Demeter leaned in closer to listen to what Hestia had to say. It was rare that the calm and meek goddess should ask a favor of anyone, and out of both interest and affection, her sister was already prepared to agree to whatever it was.

* * *

"More wine, Aikaterine?"

The sound of the name stopped Carolina in her tracks. The tutor paused by the entrance to the room, scrolls in hand, and leaned in to listen. The voice was smooth and seductive, and yet oddly grating. After a moment of recollection, Carolina had no doubt in her mind that it was the voice of Korinna's sister-in-law.

"Yes. Yes, please," she heard the scribe reply pleasantly.

She knew that it was irrational to be wary of whatever she'd just stumbled upon, for Carolina could easily recognize desire in her lover's voice, and there was none of it here.

Nonetheless, she could not resist the urge to sneak around the side of the building to peer in the window. They reclined on a divan, eating their midday meal together and laughing. The priestess had lifted her veil, revealing bright orange curls springing around her eager, almost predatory face. Carolina was far from a short woman, but she struggled to remain on the tips of her toes to see in.

She watched anxiously, eyes narrowing in suspicion as the redheaded woman sauntered across the room, dragging her hand flirtatiously across the scribe's shoulder and leaning down to kiss her cheek playfully. She held a bunch of grapes out to Aikaterine, offering to feed one to her.

"What is sh-!" Carolina gasped in fury, gritting her teeth, but before she could continue, there was a crash and she found herself lying on the ground in the dirt. The wooden trellis had broken, and she'd fallen with it. She knew the sound would cause a fuss, so she quickly brushed off her tunic and frantically shook the stray flower petals from her hair.

By the time Rhoda pulled aside the drapes to look outside, Carolina was already on the other side of the estate, marching toward Athena's temple in frustrated, jealous anger.

* * *

The night was still and balmy, with shooting stars sailing across the sky in a constant stream. What was this place? Sara did not know.

She felt no apprehension as she moved forward through the forest, stepping so quickly that she was practically gliding above the thick woodland turf. She needed no time to think. The pearly glow of the fluttering insect in front of her was her guiding light, and she needed only to follow it.

After a moment she stumbled into a circular clearing, enlivened by trickling springs and pale moonlight. The tiny wings urged her to move forward still, until she found herself trying to cross a small stream of water in the darkness. The rocks between her feet were smooth, but she could not continue, and she watched in disappointment as the lovely, sparkling creature flew away.

"Good evening, Sara."

The voice was deep and lyrical, smooth and confident. It filled the woods so completely and perfectly.

She turned, ankle-deep in the cool water, and there was no mistaking the vision before her. The goddess of the hunt waded gracefully through the water, shining as brilliantly as the moon itself. Sara rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Never before had she beheld a sight so divine.

"Shall we sit?"

It was a blur, the way she took hold of her arm and guided her out of the water. From one moment to the next, she was standing and then kneeling at the feet of the seated goddess. She did not understand why she was here.

"I know about you, sorceress," Artemis said softly, stroking her hair.

"What do you know?" It did not matter who it was; even if it was a goddess asking, Sara's response would always be defensive.

The goddess chuckled and lifted Sara's face to her own.

"I know about the enchantment that you are preparing, that you have called to Hades and to Poseidon and to Ares, but they will not answer you, for you are a woman after _my_ heart."

"I belong to no one," Sara retorted indignantly.

Artemis searched her eyes so deeply that Sara shuddered. She could not turn her gaze away, instead becoming entranced by the moonlight practically bursting out of the goddess' purple irises.

"You are afraid," she said quietly.

Sara grimaced and grumbled, "I am not afraid. One child doesn't scare me in the least. I'll send the entire family to their graves if that's what it takes."

"I have no doubt about that," Artemis responded with a gentle laugh. "You are not afraid of that. You are afraid of something else, aren't you?" She stroked Sara's cheek with a tender fascination. "Something inside of you."

Over the goddess' shoulder now stood an apparition of her mistress, of Korinna. Sara's hands trembled, automatically reaching out to her, but the specter disappeared. She was terrified of her inability to stop herself from showing her sadness, humiliated by the tears that so freely flowed. The power of the goddess had dissipated her restraint, and she wept into her silvery tunic, watching her tears mix with the spring beside them.

"Rest awhile, my own. Rest."

Sara awoke to find herself leaning face-down over her loom, her cheeks salty with tears. She must have dozed off in the middle of the day's weaving. She hastily wiped her nose and sniffled, hoping that no one had seen her.


End file.
